Death Household
by sitakazukin
Summary: Alternative Universe. No weapons and meisters. Ignore crappy title. Not your usual Soul Eater fanfic. Kid here is the Earl of Death Household. He happens to meet the daughter of a notorious sinful woman and make her his servant. Just read to know more.
1. The Prince and the Pauper

**Characters:**

Kid-young master

Crona-maid

Justin-butler

Tsubaki and Maka-cooks

Soul-gardener

Black Star-carriage driver

Medusa-deceased prostitute, mother of Crona

Stein-murderer/rapist of Medusa

Spirit-friend of Stein

Ragnarok, Eruka and Free-bullies of Crona

**A/N:** I want to reiterate that this story will use the characters of Soul Eater but use the style of Black Butler (ya know… all that master and servant thing). Note that this is rated M so this story may contain something disturbing so I advise you to not read this if you're a highly sensitive person, whatsoever. The main characters are as usual, Kid and Crona. This is one of the stories that I plan to make a comic someday. Keep in mind that I'll use point of views.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Soul Eater or Black Butler.

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**Chapter 1: The Prince and the Pauper**

~Crona~

I walked down the cold narrow streets of Death City, hugging myself in my old brown jacket, my breath clouding up in front of me as I exhaled, my trembling legs covered in thin green knee-length pants. A snow flake fell on my nose which startled me ever so easily. I looked up. The sky was as usual violet with numerous gray clouds scattered. It was evening and it was mid-December already. The moon just kept grinning. Silence surrounded me. I sighed as my gaze fell back on the stoned streets and I continued to trudge forward, not knowing where I should really go. I was… alone.

"Hey you!" someone with a manly voice shouted from behind me. My powdered blue eyes widened, my pupils reduced. I let out a small gasp and halted. "You, girl in that muddy-looking jacket!" My hands twitched as I realized I was the only girl around in brown jacket. I felt my whole body starting to tremble. I gradually turned around anyway to see the person who kept calling me impolitely.

"Y-y-yes?" I replied nervously. I could hear my own voice shaking from the cold and fear. I saw two adult men at a table outside a coffee shop. One man was in a laboratory coat and had gray hair with stitches on his face and glasses while the other had red hair and green eyes in a black suit. The scary man with glasses grinned.

"I know you," he said.

He knew me but I didn't know him. "I'm sorry but I don't know you," I said as I bowed my head and turned around. I was about to start walking when the man continued taking that stopped me.

"Sure you don't. Your mother didn't get a chance to come home and tell you about me. After all… how could she? She was already dead!"

He and the red-haired guy burst into a boisterous laugh that killed the silence of the night. I felt like my heart stopped as I clutched my chest. The scary man actually knew my mother and that she was dead. Just maybe… I thought… just maybe he knew about what happened to her. I quickly turned around with a serious face and my closed fists were in front of me. I felt so eager to ask him questions that the fear in me left… temporarily.

"You know my mother?" I asked. "Do you know what happened to her?"

The men suddenly stopped laughing and gazed at me. The gray-haired guy faced down. His shoulders twitched as he chuckled. "Silly girl. Of course I do." He finally looked up and stared at me. "What a beautiful woman she was who drove men crazy." He placed his elbow on the table and rested his head on his palm. "Unfortunately, she ended up with me… a man of science, a man who's very curious. And do you know what I do when I'm curious?" The red-haired guy snickered while I was starting to get nervous again. I shook my head weakly as I placed my closed hands on my chest. The scary man took out a scalpel from his coat's pocket. "See this?" he said as he held the scalpel and touched its blade subtly. "This is what I use when I'm curious." He drew an invisible circled on the wooden tablet with the scalpel and pierced the center. It made me jump from surprise. "She had such a tight cunt," he said. His bangs covered his eyes then he flashed an eccentric grin that sent chills down my spine.

"This can't be..." I thought. I was getting the gist of his speech already and there was a part of me that regretted that I even tried talking to him. I became momentarily speechless as I tried to process everything he said. A picture of my mother on the a bed with that scary man in front of me formed in my head. I wasn't entirely sure if what I was thinking was right but judging by how the man explained, I could not form any other image than that… for I know mom was a slut, an identity she, herself, hated. But according to her she had to live with it to keep me alive. Never was that more true. Since my birth, she always sacrificed a lot for me. Though she neglected me, I knew she actually cared for me. I knew underneath her harsh exterior was a fragile soul. I can still remember the time when she would scoop me up and kiss my nose. Times like those didn't last song but I was still grateful to have such memories. I just learned that my mother passed away the other day and nobody cared to tell me what happened to her. How ironic that the person who'd tell me what happened to her was the same person who murdered her. I felt my throat went try. I wanted to scream at the man, tell him how dare he kill the only loved-one I have in life, ask him why he played with her as if she was just some kind of experiment. But I was too scared. I was always scared to stand up for myself. How much more if it was for someone else? I knew my place. I always did. I was lower than dirt.

I quietly and slowly stepped back a few times as I watched the two men laughing like maniacs again, covering my mouth with both of my hands to prevent me from uttering a single word. I felt warm tear roll down my face. I finally turned around and started running. I run… and run. The road seemed to be endless. I closed my eyes to squeeze out the tears from my eyes. As I was still running, I raised my lower arm and wiped the tears on my face with my sleeves. Suddenly I bumped onto someone that sent me falling to the floor. I landed on my butt, which was the most painful thing I have ever experienced so far since mom died. I looked up and a boy in black jacket and cap turned around. He towered over me. The moon was behind him, grinning still. He gazed at me with his deadpan dark blue eyes. He had dark back hair. He folded his arms in front of his chest. He had a scar on his face that shaped like an X. I saw shadows on the ground and I heard tapping of shoes. I stared up and saw a girl with long light blue hair and a tall muscled guy with an eye with the words "no future".

~Kid~

I ordered Black Star, my driver, to stop the carriage and Justin, my butler who was sitting across my seat, asked if there was something the matter. I told him to stay quiet as I started to observe the little commotion outside through a glass of the carriage.

~Crona~

"I'm sorry," I managed to speak, feeling intimidated by the looks of them already. I recognized them. I heard they're the teens that bully other teens.

The black-haired guy smirked at me. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? The daughter of the hoe everybody talks about? You don't look like what I imagined." His eyes narrowed. "It disappoints me." He turned around. "Guys, take all the money you can find on her."

The only girl and the muscled guy came forward to me as I tried to stand up despite the pain that was still lingering in my body. I had the urge to run away already but before I could even make one step they have already got a hold of me and pushed me back to the ground. I grunted and winced. "Let me go!" I pleaded helplessly as I tried to struggle. They have pinned me down on the floor and they started to rummage my pockets for money. Unfortunately, I didn't even have a single penny. The girl and boy finally gave up and stood up, leaving me faced down on the cold stoned floor and snow just kept falling.

"Sorry, boss, it seems like she's nothing but a poor useless girl. She has no money with her."

The raven-haired boy gritted his teeth and grunted in anger. He walked fast towards me, squat down in front of me and held the collar of my jacket, forcing me to look into his piercing eyes. "Don't toy with us, little girl," he said, sounding annoyed. "I know your mom. She gets lots of money from sleeping with men, right? Actually it's even more than that. You get my point? It's impossible for you to be broke. Hand it us to already if you still want to live!"

My eyes closed when the guy shouted at my face but suddenly we heard the clicking of guns. I opened my eyes and saw the guy in front of me not making a single move but was still holding my collar. From the look on his face, I knew he was terrified but by what? Or rather who… I looked up more and saw a guy in black coat with black hair also but had three white stripes on the left side of his head was standing behind the guy holding me. He was holding two pistols, directly pointing them at the black-haired guy's head, almost ready to pull the triggers with his… pinkies? ! I stared in surprise. I've never seen someone hold guns like that. For a few seconds there I asked myself. "Is it that I'm so naïve or is this guy just really weird? !"

"Ragnarok, it's over," the weird guy said calmly. "Let go of the lady or your head will be blown up into pieces."

This "Ragnarok" guy finally let go of me and I find it more comfortable to breathe already. I clutched my neck and panted. Ragnarok smiled, stood up and faced Kid.

"What a pleasant surprise, Earl of Death. I never thought you'd stop here just to rescue the daughter of a dirty woman."

"Who gave you the right to punish such kind of people when you yourself are unclean, Ragnarok?"

"Tch," Ragnarok uttered. "You pay too much attention to details." He closed his eyes and walked past Earl of Death. "How do you think people will react if they knew that you show compassion for a girl like that?" He said and looked back with a smile.

Earl of Death became silent. He and this Ragnarok guy stared at each other for like a minute. He finally faced down and smirked. "Let them think whatever they want. Their thoughts won't change me being the head of the Death Household neither it would put this girl behind bars." When he said "girl" he turned around and bent down in front of me. He rested his elbow on his knee as he studied my face. I looked at him and realized he had such beautiful honey-colored eyes. I felt my cheeks burn. A guy with such eyes was actually looking at me so intensely. It felt both comforting and intimidating. He finally stood up and faced Ragnarok again. "You may leave now," he said to him and his friends.

Ragnarok glanced at me. "You're lucky this time, little bitch," he said to me then turned around. "Let's go, guys." He finally started to walk away along with the girl and tall guy.

Earl of Death faced me and lend a hand. I stared at it for seconds, not sure what I was supposed to do. I slowly raised my hand though and he took the honor to start shaking my hand. "Pleased to meet you, Crona Gorgon," he said and smiled. He pulled me up.

"You are…?" I said as I gave him a quizzical yet hesitant look.

"Death the Kid, the Earl of Death Household. You can call me Kid." A blonde guy stood behind him. "And this gentleman next to me is my loyal butler."

"I… see."

"Please watch where you're going next time. You don't want to bump on that guy again, do you?"

I closed my eyes and shook my head.

I saw him smile warmly at me again. "Well, you should be going home now. It's already late." He turned around and started walking. I felt my body froze. It's been a long time since somebody showed care for me. I stretched out my arm and touched Kid's sleeve.

~Kid~

I turned around as I felt somebody tugged on my sleeve. I saw that it was Crona who was facing down, hand on her chest while her other hand still held onto me.

"I…" she started. I patiently waited for her to speak up.

"What is it?" I asked, sounding concerned. I rarely sound concerned for someone so I, myself, was surprised.

"I… I don't… have a… home anymore."

"Ugh," I uttered.

"Mom… she's already…" before she could finish her sentence, her eyes gradually close and she fainted but fortunately, I caught her in my arms before she could even fall to the ground.

"Justin, get the extra coat from the carriage," I ordered my butler.

"Yes, my Lord," Justin acquiesced and started walking back to the carriage.

For the meantime Justin was gone, I took the chance to look at the pinkette's face like I did before but this time, she was just like an innocent child sleeping. I placed my hand on her neck and felt her burning. "Oh, shit," I mentally cursed. Good thing Justin was back already. He wrapped the red coat around Crona and carried her. "Let's hurry," I said. "She has a fever." Justin just nodded and we both went back to the carriage with Crona in Justin's arms.

(To be continued.)


	2. The Guest Wakes Up

**A/N:** Hi! I'm so sorry for not updating soon. Anyway, let me tell you the reasons. First is because I've been busy with school (and I'll still be). Two, because I was working on Heart Without a Beat (more like I was finishing it). Three, because I've been watching anime shows (Pandora Hearts and Durarara) which I have also finished already. Last but not the least… five, because I was sick for two weeks and didn't feel like drawing or writing fanfiction. That's all. Thank you for the people who read the 1st chapter. I am so moved that you all liked it! The following chapter(s) might not be as interesting as the 1st chapter but I'll try my best! Please bear with me. I won't be using POVs now.

KuriSari: I'm glad to know you've been reading my stories. Thank you for the compliment! By the way, I love your story "Not Enough".

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Soul Eater/Kuroshitsuji.

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**Chapter 2: The Guest Wakes Up**

_Darkness… Darkness surrounded me…_

_A pinch of light rendered from afar…_

_I staggered towards it 'til I grasped a wall…_

_My eyes met the pool of blood as I looked through the hole…_

_With the scalpel on her chest, mother was lifeless on the floor…_

_An arrow of pain shot through my heart…_

_I felt like my body was being torn apart…_

_For a moment, it seemed like my soul left me…_

_My throat went dry and my legs trembled exceedingly…_

_Two hands with stitches encompassed my mouth…_

_It was the scary man, no doubt…_

_Struggling, my screams were muffled…_

_He whispered "I killed her" and chuckled…_

Tucked under a thick white comforter, Crona mewled in her sleep, "Mom."

The assistant cook in the Death Manor, Maka Albarn, was sitting on a stool next to the red canopy bed, holding a cream colored bowl of hot chicken soup. She quickly turned to the pinkette. "Can you hear me?" she asked for the third time that morning. Her patient finally gave a response but unfortunately, it was no near to what she expected to hear.

"Mom… don't leave me," Crona mumbled, powder blue eyes still closed and bulbous sweat rolled down on her temple.

Maka gave Crona a quizzical look. "Crona-san, I'm not your—"

"Mom!" She screamed on top of her lungs and finally opened her eyes. Her vision became clear and she begun to realize she was in an unfamiliar room. "Morning already?" she thought as she momentarily gazed at the balcony window at her far right, her eyelids drooping.

Maka pushed one hand on the bed and flashed a grin at Crona. "You're finally awake!"

"GAHHH!" Crona squealed as she kicked on the bed, scooted herself away far from Maka until she fell to the rugged floor on her butt.

Maka frowned. "You're acting like you've seen a monster." She stood up, placed the bowl of soup on the bed table and walked over to Crona who was already huddled in a corner. She was wearing a white sleeping gown. She smiled at the pinkette. "Don't be afraid. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm Maka Albarn, by the way. I'm one of the cooks here. Welcome to the Death manor. You are our guest so please relax and make yourself at home." She stooped a bit and clutched her knees as she studied Crona who only looked back at her without saying a single word. "I see you're okay now so I guess I should inform the young master. For the mean time, please do eat the soup that I prepared for you." She stood up straight, smiled one last more and turned around.

Crona placed a hand on the floor and slowly stood up as she watched Maka leave the room. "Young… master?"

The Earl of Death was already in his office, sitting on his black revolving chair, holding a newspaper with both of his hands, scrutinizing the recent news. An elegant white cup of green apple tea and a small plate of four slices of cinnamon bread were resting on top of his desk. He hadn't even touched them yet when his butler, Justin Law, came in with a pot of the same tea.

"Justin, what's the schedule for today?" Kid said with his usual solemn voice and without taking his eyes off the newspaper. The sunlight passing through the large windows behind him made him glisten.

"Lunch with your Aunt Marie, World History at 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and piano class at 5:00 pm to 6 p.m." Justin retorted and placed the pot on Kid's desk, a smile plastered on his face.

"I see… the usual." His pupils reduced. "Wait." He pushed down the newspaper on the desk, making the tableware clatter. Justin gazed at him, secretly amused to see him startled. "Aunt Marie? Why is _she_ coming here?"

"I'm sorry but she hasn't specified her reason. She did mention that she just simply wanted to meet you though. She probably misses you." He poured a little amount of tea to Kid's cup. Kid stared at the liquid with his head lopsidedly rested on his palm with his forearm on the table.

"Miss me or not, that shouldn't be an excuse to see me. I have no time to talk to her." He took the cup and drank it.

"Cold as always," Justin thought and smiled. "Could it be that you're afraid of something to happen if she comes, young master?" he asked calmly.

Kid looked up at him with cup still near his mouth. He gently placed it back on the table. A smirk tugged on his lips. "Not if you're going to do something about it."

Justin held his chest, closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly. "I would do anything for you, my Lord."

"Young master!" Maka shouted as she rushed into the room. Justin turned around while Kid gave Maka a quizzical look.

"What is it, Maka?"

"Our guest is finally awake!"

Kid became speechless for a second. "Th-that's great!" He stood up and walked towards Maka. "So how is she?"

"Well…" Maka averted her eyes from him. "She was sort of freaked out when she saw me but she's okay!"

Justin and Kid looked away and secretly whispered, "Who wouldn't be freaked out by you?"

"Pardon?"

"Ahaha. Nothing, nothing. Anyway…" his eyes turned serious. "She'll no longer be our guest."

"What do you mean, young master?"

Kid turned to face Justin. "Justin, this is an order. Make Crona Gorgon a maid here."

The smile on Maka's face faded and it transferred to Justin. He knelt and said, "Yes, my Lord."

(To be continued.)

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**A/N:** Quite short, eh? But don't worry. I'll update again this week. C:


	3. To Live in the Manor

**A/N:** You're welcome, Kuri. Also thanks to Crazy and Chabeli.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Soul Eater or Black Butler.

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**Chapter 3: To Live in the Manor**

Soul Evans… he was the gardener of the Death Household. He was a laid-back young man with white hair and crimson eyes who always loved using the word 'cool'. When he was young, he ran away from home. Not because he hated the place nor his family. He was a pianist. He came from a family of musicians. His brother, Wes, happened to be a violinist, a great one too. Because of that, he was notorious among his family's friends, no wonder Soul envied him. He and Soul had a love-hate relationship.

Soul looked up to Wes like any normal younger sibling would do to his older brother or sister but it wasn't just admiration that was growing in him but also resentment. Sometimes he wished he was better than Wes, more popular than him or at least… he wished to be appreciated like him. Hate… it has been planted in his heart and he did not want it to embrace it. He wanted to forget it. But it was hard for him to forget when Wes was always around.

"One of us must go away," he said to himself one day as he leered at Wes who was playing his fiddle during dinner. Their parents were quite impressed by his remarkable voluntary performance. Soul just started playing with the meat balls on his plate lazily with his head tilted, resting on his fist. Wes noticed it and became concerned… concerned that Soul might not be feeling well or something. So he opted to visit him in his room at late night, two hours after the dinner. He knocked on his little brother's door.

Only silence responded. He knew it would be wrong to come in without permission but he was getting worried already. Oh how relieve he was when he was able to rotate the door knob and the door flung open, revealing no albino on the bed, the floor or at the desk. He was left speechless where he stood as he gazed around the room with his eyes as wide as ever... especially when he saw the open window. Its curtain danced with the wind. Soon he found himself running after his brother in the woods. The cold breeze of the night kept slapping his face as he ran and shouted his brother's name, pleading him to come back, convincing him that they should talk it out. But Soul… he dared not to look back. With a black backpack on him, he tried harder to pace up, skidding on the muddy forest floor, his shadow thrown on the trees.

The Evans family never found Soul since that time. He had already traveled so far, far enough for them to catch up. They could have caught up with him though, that is, if he didn't keep changing directions and running fast. He may be easy-going or laid-back but he was an excellent runner. Apparently, according to him he was "too cool" to join running contents. He was already in the Amtrak Train. His decision as to where he should go was still tentative. He stopped by at a church in Nevada where he was asked to play the piano by the girl name Maka Albarn. Soul was sitting on the piano seat, admiring the black grand piano in front of him. Suddenly, a blonde with emerald eyes and petite body approached him.

"Hello there," she said with a smile on her face.

Soul looked back, a bit surprised to see a stranger. The church was silent and eerie just a moment ago. He did not expect someone else other than him to be there, well, except for the few people who takes care of the church. "Hi," he said nonchalantly, not returning a smile. Nevertheless, Maka still kept hers unwavering.

"Do you play the piano?" she suddenly asked. Soul nodded and asked why. "Would you play for me?" Soul blinked his eyes, astonished at her question. He felt the honor to play for someone who he doesn't even know yet. He simply smiled.

"Sure… but just this time." He started playing an unfamiliar dark song. Even though she had no knowledge of the lyrics, Maka savored its beautiful sound, amazed how fast Soul's hands moved on the keys and when he would close his eyes while playing. The melody faded, such heartwarming song was played which sent shiver down Maka's spine and gave her Goosebumps the whole time. She felt ambivalence while listening to the song. It was like the song made her sad and happy at the same time.

"Sugoi!"

"Wha-?"

Maka pushed down her hands on the piano seat. "That was the most amazing thing I have ever heard!"

Soul gawked at her. "R-really?"

Maka nodded quickly. "A-huh!"

"Weren't you… disgusted? Frightened?"

Anamnesis. Soul remembered the look in the people's faces, the look of disgust and fear after he played the song in a party. It was as if a spotlight focused on him and darkness surrounded him. He had never felt so alone… so embarrassed… so… hurt.

Maka raised her eyebrow. "Disgusted? No way!" She shouted at Soul's face, sounding like a woman who was trying to refuse to an arranged marriage. "I didn't know the lyrics but the sound was very beautiful. Sure, it was kind of dark, but as I listened to it, I could imagine the darkness in my life."

"Is… that supposed to be a good thing?"

Maka chuckled. "Not really… but we sure must not forget our past no matter how painful it was. The past made the person who we are now."

Gradually, a smile formed on Soul's face as he finally got the gist of what Maka was trying to say. He closed his eyes. "I get it."

"I'm Maka Albarn, by the way." She spread out her hand. "Nice to meet you."

Soul looked at her gloved hand. He hesitated at first. Eventually, he was shaking her hand already as he said his name and smiled. "Soul Evans."

Maka sat next to him. "Do you live near here?"

"No. I came from… far away." He averted his eyes away from Maka's. Maka just kept gazing at him, trying to figure out what he's hiding.

"Oh so does that mean you're just new around?"

Soul nodded.

"Do you have a place to stay?"

"Currently none but hopefully-"

"Maybe you'd like to come with me."

Soul returned his glance at Maka. "With you? Where?"

Maka smiled. "To the Death Manor. I work there as an assistant cook and I serve my young master, Death the Kid. But I'm not the only one. There also other servants like his butler, Justin."

"Death the Kid? Is that really his name? Sounds weird."

A chuckle came out from Maka. "Well… yes and no. Yes, because he's commonly known as Death the Kid or Kid in short. He prefers it and it's the one he officially uses."

"So… you don't know his real name?"

"Nope. I have yet to find out though." She glanced at the piano's keyboard.

"I see."

"So what do you say? You wanna come or not?"

"I'll think about it."

The church's two huge doors suddenly burst open, letting a strong wind that froze Soul and Maka on their seat. It made their eyes go wide.

"HEY, MAKA! ARE YOU IN HERE? !" Black Star, the carriage driver of the Death Household walked in with his hands on his face and a stupid grin on his face.

Maka could only sweatdrop while Soul looked back to see the aqua-haired former ninja.

"Is that a…" he started.

"Yes, it's a monkey."

Soul sweatdropped as well. "I wasn't going to say that."

"He's my childhood friend and co-worker at the mansion." She stood up and smiled. "Come on, I'll introduce you to him."

* * *

The scorching sun was already high up on the sky. The dining room of the Death Manor was filled with the music Soul was playing on the piano. A couple of exotic and delicious-looking dishes and sparkling clean utensils were set on the long table clothed in white. A flower vase full of different kinds of flowers was at the center of the table though they were properly arranged by Justin. Almost everyone heard the horses outside. Kid instantly, yet calmly, went to the front door along with his butler. He wore his normal black pants and coat with a long white sleeve and black ribbon around the collar.

"Good afternoon, Aunt Marie," Kid said while he held Marie's hand and helped her step out of the carriage.

"KID!" Marie screamed as soon as he realized it was Kid. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly like she'll never let go, squeezing his eyes shut and kept repeating the words, "I missed you" while shaking him from left to right, vice versa. Justin could only cover his mouth with his fist, bow his head a little and chuckle. On the other hand, Kid was struggling to grasp air. "J-Justin!" he shouted.

Justin stood next to Marie. "Sorry, mistress, but I believe you're trying to kill my little master," he said with a smile as he held Marie's hands and gently unwrapped them from Kid's body. Kid's hand clutched his chest and knee. He started panting like he'd been running for four lapses around an oval running track.

"Sorry! I was just! I was just so overwhelmed by ecstasy!" Marie said as she put her hands together and pouted at Kid.

The young earl sighed. "It's alright, auntie. Anyway…" He stood straight and fixed his clothes. "It's becoming late. Our food will get cold."

Marie gave Kid a quizzical look. "You actually prepared lunch for us?" Again, she started squeezing Kid as if he was just some one of her huge old stuffed toys back at home, making Kid squint and suffocated. "Awww! That's so sweet of you, Kiddo!"

"Y-yes! Now let me go!"

They were done with lunch and it was time for desserts already. A while ago, the noise in the dining room was only the music being played by Soul on the piano, which Kid appreciated, and the clattering of dish wares on the table. "It's been a while, dear," Marie said when she paused at eating a chocolate cake. "How are you doing?"

Kid smiled, more like… reluctantly. "It's been great. I'm running the company smoothly and sometimes I help the police with crimes."

"I see. People had been talking about the guns you usually carry with you whenever you step out of here. That's probably why they're scared of you. But atleast you earn respect, right?" She resumed to eating.

The smile on Kid's face faded and he looked away, to the large windows where it shows the beautiful garden outside, plants somehow glowing because of the sunlight. "I don't like the idea of earning respect just through bringing harmful weapons. I want them to respect me for who or what I am… not because of the things I have with me."

Marie smiled. "That's what I meant, Kid."

Kid flicked his fingers at Justin.

Justin lowered his upper body and neared his ear to Kid's mouth.

The boy whispered, "Operation turning Crona-san into a maid starts now."

Justin nodded and smiled eccentrically. "Madam, will you please excuse me," he said to Marie.

"Sure!" Marie said without looking at him. She just continued to eat her delicious cake as Justin disappeared from the room.

* * *

Crona heard someone knock on the door. She pulled herself to her feet and slowly turned the door knob. She was relieved to see Justin even though she didn't really know him yet.

"Greetings, Gorgon-san. Remember me?"

Crona weakly nodded as she held her right upper arm, like she always does because it's one of her habits. She looked up at him, waiting for what he was going to say. He was obviously taller than her, making her feel a bit intimidated even though Justin had such an innocent look.

"Maka said you're alright already. Was that true?"

She nodded again.

"That's good to hear. Anyway, I came here to tell you that if you're interested, you can live here."

Her head and eyebrows slowly rose as the tension in her began to melt. "Are you… serious?"

Justin chuckled. "Of course I am." His face turned serious. "But there's one condition." He raised his index finger.

The surprise look on Crona's face faded. "What is it?"

Justin closed his eyes and smiled. "Simple. You'll have to be a maid here!"

"M-maid?"

Crona almost couldn't believe what she just heard.

* * *

In a hallway, Kid was looking for Marie who said she was going to go to the comfort room. He felt that she wasn't in the comfort room anymore since when he called her from the outside, she did not responded. So he decided to look around the mansion for her. He happened to bump into Soul and Maka.

"Oof!"

"Oh my—we're sorry, young master!" Maka said as she and Soul stood up quickly and helped Kid stand up.

"Ah, it's alright. More importantly, have you two seen Aunt Marie?"

.

.

"JAMES KENNEDY HARRISON DEATH THE SECOND!"

The mansion shook when Marie screamed Kid's full name and certainly everyone in the house heard it. Kid sighed and looked away with half-lidded eyes. "Speaking of the devil," he said.

Soul chuckled. "You know you're in trouble when an adult screams your full name."

"Th-that was your full name?" Maka asked in a shaky voice.

Kid was already fixing his ribbon. He glanced at Maka sideway. "Yes. Why?"

Maka shook her head. "Nothing."

"I wonder what she's so mad about now," Kid said as he stared at the ceiling then he returned his glance to his servants. "Well, I have to check out what it is so see you two later."

Maka and Soul smiled and bowed their heads.


	4. Silver into Gold

**A/N:** Happy Birthday, Isabella Alvarez a.k.a. Chabeli! Thank you so much for always… always… reading and reviewing my stories. You're one hell of a loyal and generous person… and I simply admire that. Thank you also to the people who have been reading this story. I'm glad you love Kid's name. Haha. Sorry again for not updating soon! I've been through a lot of emotional problem and all that shit. But don't mind me. Sometimes I just need to lock myself up from the world for a few days to think about some personal things. XD Let I remind you that this story is AU! Alternative Universe. So don't be too surprised if… there's something weird in this chapter.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Soul Eater and Black Butler.

**Chapter 4: Silver into Gold**

"Wh-who was that?" Crona asked nervously, still shivering after she heard a woman shout. Justin flashed a reassuring smile at her.

"Oh, that was just the young master's Aunt Marie," he said. His face turned solemn as he held his chin and averted his eyes away from Crona. "She probably found young master's room. Hmm. Well, I guess that gives me more reason to rush things up." He gazed at Crona again. "Crona-san, your uniform is in the closet. Please do wear it as soon as possible and go to young master's room upstairs. He'll need you."

"B-but"

Justin closed his eyes and smiled again. He held the door knob. "Thank you and have a nice day," he said gleefully and shut the door in front of Crona. He fixed his tie then started walking calmly in the corridors, leaving Crona befuddled in the guest room.

"What am I supposed to do?" she wondered frantically as she opened the closet and found a maid suit. Her pupils reduced at the sight. She quickly closed the closet. "There is no way… I'm gonna change into that suit," she said in her mind as she panted and rested her back on the door of the closet. What she saw was a cute little black maid outfit with laces and ribbons that would definitely show her legs and arms. And that was what she was afraid of. Her eyes turn half-lidded. She sat on the ragged floor. "Still… I… I can't disappoint Kid." She slowly stood up. "Dressing up as a maid and report to her master… is that really a hard task?" she thought then bravely opened the closet again, gulped and gazed at the suit with serious eyes.

.

.

Kid came into his bedroom just right after Marie. He rested his hand on the door and tried to catch his breath. All that running almost made him trip in the hallways. He squinted at Marie who was at the middle of his room. Through gritted teeth he said, "Aunt Marie… what's wrong?"

"Little Death, didn't your mother ever told you to clean up your room?" she said as she gazed around Kid's room. "I mean, look at this." She picked up a sock and threw it into the laundry basket as she grimaced at the unorganized book, unmade bed and scattered objects on papers and on the floor. "Your room… it's all messed up!" she said hysterically as she gestured her hands and turned around to face Kid. The grimace on her face faded when she saw Kid facing down.

"Don't ever mention that person again please," Kid said coldly.

"Oh, Kid, no, I didn't mean to—I'm sorry." She tried to reach out for Kid but he simply avoided her as he came into the room with his hands clasped on his back.

"This room was clean before a tornado passed by… when you came," he said then chuckled softly, looking at his large window, the beaming wonderful sight of nature being manifested to him.

Marie raised an eyebrow. "Pardon?"

"If you're going to criticize others, please do look at yourself first, auntie." He faced her. "Who the heck gave you the permission to enter my room without my concern?" He looked at her with those piercing golden eyes of his. Whoever it was, family or not, important person or not, he wouldn't easily forgive someone if he disrespects him… especially if it's someone who's not worthy of his respect and kindness.

Marie glared at Kid as she clenched her hands. Kid just smirked, folded his arms in front of his chest and sat on the edge of his bed. His eyes still locked on Marie. He finally looked away. "Just as I thought," he whispered with a smile. Marie gave him a quizzical look. "You're only here to find faults and for my money, right?" He laughed as he gazed at Marie again. "You can have all the money that you want later… it is my respect that you can never have."

"Tch," Marie uttered. "You're a spoiled brat as always," she remarked and smirked then placed a hand on her waist.

"Oh, so you finally gave up on putting up that fake modesty already? Good. It was getting disgusting already."

"Uhmm…" someone suddenly said in a soft small voice from behind. Marie and Kid turned their heads and looked to where the voice came from.

It was Crona. And she was in the maid suit already. Kid's eyes widened, both because of fear and admiration. His face turned slightly red as his heart started doing pirouettes in his chest.

"I'm s-sorry to disturb but… Justin…"

"Ah, no need to apologize," Kid said. He stood up, walked pass by Marie and smiled at Crona. "I know why you're here."

A smirk was still plastered on Marie's face. "You got a new maid, I see. But something's fishy."

"It's just your freaking breath," Kid whispered as he looked away. Crona giggled.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing~" Kid said then stood next to Crona.

"I never thought you'll be interested in someone like her, Kid." She was about to laugh already.

"Auntie, she's just my maid. And she's got a name. It's Crona Gorgon. Please do use it more often now."

Marie smiled. "As you wish."

Kid gazed at the pinkette. "Crona, I will really appreciate it if you start cleaning now."

"Oh, right. Yes, your highness." She turned away and started cleaning up the room, leaving Kid feeling frozen on the ground.

"Wh-what did she just call me?" he thought as a light blush rendered on his pale face. He felt hands on his shoulders.

"I'll be going now, my precious nephew," Marie whispered in his ear. Kid shoved away her hand.

"Thank you for coming today," he smirked at Marie again. Crona paused from what she was doing when she saw the cold war between the Kid and his aunt.

.

.

"That little bastard. Who does he think he is?" Marie thought angrily as she walked in the corridors of the manor, on her way to the front door. "Even though his parents are already deceased, he can still act like some kind of superior. Seriously… where does he get his enthusiasm from?" She halted after realizing something. An evil smiled began to form on her face. "Let's just see if he can keep this up."

.

.

"Leaving so soon?" Justin asked. He just got out of the dining room.

"Sadly, yes. I still have things to do back at home. Thank you for the lunch and the hospitality."

"No problem, mistress. Please come again on anytime you want."

Marie's eyes narrowed as she smiled. "Oh, I will… certainly."

.

.

Kid flopped down on his bed. "Sorry for putting you into this trouble," he said without looking at Crona who was now arranging books. She looked at him, surprised that he was apologizing. Kid just kept gazing at the blank ceiling. "You don't really have to clean now. I can do that by myself."

"But… Justin told me…"

Kid turned his head to Crona and smiled. "We just wanted you to be a maid until we got rid of that annoying woman." He chuckled.

Crona looked clueless, unaware why Kid hated Marie so much.

"Can I ask something?"

Kid finally stopped laughing. "Sure."

"Why does it seem that you hate your aunt?"

"So you've noticed." He sat up and looked at the floor with his hands between his knees. "I believe that the person who killed my parents is that woman. She may be nice but she's actually evil on the inside. I'm probably being too judgmental but that's just really how I see it for such a long time now."

Crona blinked for a few times, finally understanding already. "I see." She sat on a chair a few meters away from Kid. "Sorry to hear about your… parents."

Kid smiled again. Still, he didn't look at Crona. "It's fine."

"I have also noticed that she doesn't seem to like me, Kid. S-so it's a good thing that I didn't really have to be a maid here. It would cause more trouble."

"What are you talking about?" He glanced at her a bit. "You shouldn't care about what others think of you… especially what that hag thinks. I have decided, Crona. You're not just going to be my maid."

Crona flinched on her seat. "W-what do you mean?"

Kid stood up, walked across his room and stood in front of Crona. He smiled down at her, her shyness makes him more curious about her. He held Crona's chin with his thumb and index finger and made her look up. "Darkness into light. Silver into gold." Crona gazed up at his honey-colored eyes with those gray eyes of hers. "I've decided to make you… mine."


	5. Lost in Reverie

**A/N: **This has been on six-month hiatus and I still want to continue it. I've been giving my attention to school works, anime and one special person of my life who made me feel how it's like to love and to be loved again. I'm sorry for the long wait and thank you for the reviews.

**Chapter 5: Lost in Reverie**

Crona stared into the earl's golden eyes that glistened with the afternoon sun. She momentarily lost herself at the sight of them. She was reminded of an unforgettable event that took place a long time ago when she was still a child.

A memory.

Thunder roared in the sky. Little Crona opened her eyes in shock, pushed away her thin blanket and jumped off her bed. She could hear snippets of the conversartion from downstairs. She had an idea of what was happening... and she didn't like it at all. She ran in the murky hallways barefoot, still in her pajamas, until she reached the stairs. Her legs weakened when she saw her father already putting on a large bag at his back. She gripped on the stairs' railings and ran to his father.

"Father!" she shouted as loud as ever. She was about to be left by someone very precious to her. It was this one step she missed that made her heart skip a bit as she fell into her father arms.

"Crona," her father started.

"Don't go, father! Please don't!" Crona begged, ignoring the little accident that just transpired a few seconds ago. She dug her face in his father's stomach and squeezed her eyes shut. "You once told me that it's okay for me to be a little bit selfish so now let me selfishly beg you to stay! Please..." She gritted her teeth and gradually opened her teary eyes. "Stay for me and mother."

Her father sighed and frowned. He held Crona's chin and made her eyes meet his. He showed her a gentle smile. "Crona, I can't just stay here while our fellowmen are risking their lives to protect our country." He planted a soft kiss on Crona's forehead after brushing off her asymmetrical bangs as he wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes with the pad of his thumbs. "I love you and your mother. Don't ever forget that."

"Then why..." A new batch of tears were formed on Crona's eyes. "Why would you leave us if you do?"

"I'm doing this for you... for all of us," he whispered, stepped back, took his pistol from the table and tucked it in his denims. Crona saw it and was afraid with what he was going to do about it.

"Father, you're not going to kill people, are you?" she asked nervously and tugged the hem of his father's jacket to get his attention, her tears suddenly stopped trickling down her face.

Her father smiled. "Only the bad ones," he said. "Look, Crona..." He knelt down in front of Crona, ran his hand through her hair and made her listen to something both terrible and beautiful, "You've grown matured to know what a gun is for. But keep this in mind, I'd kill it for you and your mom."

Crona gasped and covered her mouth as her eyes widened after hearing her father's words. She stood on the floor, unshaking. Her father had let go of her and stood properly already. He waved at Medusa, looked down on Crona with a face void of emotion. Crona was too overwhelmed with what her father said; she couldn't make a move.

"Stop him," the little voice in her head said. "Stop him!" Her own motivation was a futile attempt. She was torn between letting her go and stopping him. She didn't want to disobey her father so she wanted to let him go but she also didn't want him to leave, believing that she'd never see him again.

Mr. Gorgon opened the wooden front door of their house. A flurry of snow came in and blinded Crona.

_Flashback End_

Crona woke up to the roaring sound of the train's engine. She gripped her head as she caught her breath in panic. Across her was Kid sitting on the couch next to Justin, startled. He stared at Crona with an expression mixed of worry and astonishment.

"Where—where are we?" Crona whispered hastily and stood up. Her voice and legs were trembling. She clutched Kid's knees and looked down at him, beads of cold sweat running down on her temples. "Where's mom? Where's dad?"

"Crona, calm down," Kid said sternly.

Gradually, Crona's apprehension faded and Kid could already see the calmness in her eyes. She felt Maka's hands on her shoulder that made her flinch a bit.

"It's alright, Crona," Maka said with a soothing voice and she smiled at the pinkette. "You just had a bad dream."

"B-but—" Crona started.

"I'll explain to you everything," Maka interrupted before Crona could jump into conclusions. "Let's sit down first." She guided Crona back to the couch.

A few moments of silence have passed before Maka started talking again for them all. She was holding Crona's hand as she spoke, switching her glance from Justin to Kid, Crona and reverse. "Crona, a while ago, you just suddenly passed out in Master Kid's room."

Crona looked clueless. "I did?"

"Yes. And it made Master Kid really worried..." They both glanced at Kid who just looked away and watched the snowy mountains outside. His arms were folded against his chest. Crona and Maka looked at each other again "... So worried that he decided to take you to a hospital since you still wouldn't wake up. He was blaming himself."

"Oh, he shouldn't have. His... his eyes reminded me of someone... and a memory." Crona's stare fell on the floor.

Maka and Kid glanced at each other and exchanged expressions.

"So that's why she passed out," Kid thought. "She probably dreamt of that memory."

Without too much hesitation, Maka said, "Who was it?"

Crona tried to reply but her throat suddenly felt too dry. "F-father," she managed to say.

Kid gave her a quizzical look. "What happened to him?"

"She left me and mom on one snowy night. He... he said he's going to leave to protect me and mom... to protect the country."

All of them didn't say a word after that.

"He must have died after the war," Kid thought, now gritting his teeth. "If he did, it will be hard for her to accept it." He tried to calm himself down, sighed silently and closed his eyes.

"Your father is probably in a safe place right now," Justin said, breaking the silence. He rendered a warm smile to Crona.

Crona slowly registeredd Justin words. She felt a sense of comfort. Disgruntled about what happened to her father, she still smiled back at Justin. "I hope so," she said softly.

"We're going to look for your father," Kid assured her. "For now, let's take you to a doctor."


	6. Innocent Girl

**Chapter 6: Innocent Girl**

"Young master, I don't mean to sound rude but don't you think we could have just brought Crona to a hospital in Death City?" Maka said to Kid. Both of them, along with Justin, were standing outside the emergency room. "I mean… did we really have to go this far?"

Justin just sweatdropped. He's been willing to ask the same thing ever since they were in the train.

"I assure you, Maka," said Kid who just kept resting his back against the wall. "This is one of the best hospitals I know. I am not very confident of what we have back at home."

"Trust issues, I see," Maka whispered.

Kid heaved a sigh. "Look, you two." Justin and Maka turned to him. "There's this creepy and suspicious doctor back in Death City Hospital. He has stitches all over his body and he's got this screw on his head. I never asked him about them but they're enough reasons for me to consider him a suspect."

The two blondes could clearly see that Kid still haven't given up on finding out who killed Medusa.

"Honestly, my Lord, I couldn't tell if you're doing this for Crona or for yourself," said Justin.

"Of course I'm doing this for her," Kid retorted. "After all, she's under my custody now. It's my responsibility to know about her background."

"What will you do with such information?"

"I…" Kid suddenly forgot what he wanted to say. For a second there, he realized he didn't really have anything to say after all. But he had to say something. He didn't want to sound illogical. "People are going to ask me about her," he managed to come up quickly. "I wouldn't want them to think I'm taking care of a stranger."

"But you are," Justin said as a-matter-of-factly.

"And that's exactly why I want to know her, Justin," Kid said as he closed his eyes, raised one of his index fingers and smiled. "I want to know this stranger." He turned his gaze to the emergency room's door. Suddenly, it opened and Doctor Heilmich came out. Kid, Justin and Maka approached him.

"Doctor, how is she?" Kid said, trying to maintain his composure.

"Ah, you mean Crona Gorgon? She's fine," answered the doctor. Kid slowly felt relieved as the doctor spoke but one word zapped him back to worry. "But…"

"But-? But what, doctor?" He gripped the doctor's shoulders.

"Calm down, Kennedy."

Kid frowned as he lightened his grip. "Please don't call me that."

"Sorry, I mean, Kid. Ms. Gorgon has concussion, which explains why she loses consciousness sometimes."

"It's not that severe, is it?"

"You really are concerned for her, aren't you?" The doctor smiled playfully.

"Let's not mind the small details please," Justin said, sweatdropping. He saw that his young master was flustered already.

Heilmich acquiesced. "Yes, it's not severe. But we still need to examine her further. You can help by asking her what happened to her. She might have accidentally hit her head on something."

"We will," Kid said. "Can we see her now?"

"Oh, sure. She's just sitting right next to my desk."

"Thank you, doctor." He gestured his hand, signaling Maka and Justin to follow him.

.

.

On the snowy streets of Derion, Maka and Justin walked passed by different stores and people who are, like them, wrapped in thick layers of jacket.

Maka sighed in relief. "I'm glad to know Crona's alright. I hope she doesn't faint now that she's with young master again."

"I'm sure Master Kid will be more careful this time not to overwhelm her," Justin reassured her. "They're off to a cafe just around the block to have some private talk. We should meet up with them by three thirty."

"Alright, so where are we going now?"

"Well… He wants us to buy Crona some clothes."

Maka's face suddenly brightened up. "Really? That's great then! We just passed by a cute apparel store. We should be going back there." She pulled Justin by the arm.

"Wait. We don't know her sizes yet." He was letting himself being dragged by Maka now.

"You should have asked her." She let him go and faced him. "But then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore."

Justin raised an eyebrow at Maka as he fixed his sleeve. "We are not aiming at surprising her."

"So now you are suggesting we should go back to them this instance?" Maka said, folding her arms in front of her chest.

"I didn't suggest anything like that."

"Well, it was like you were implying it."

"Anyway, we can't disturb them right now."

"You make it sound like they're going to do something top secret." Maka smiled. She turned around continued walking towards the store. "Crona is slightly taller and skinnier than me so I guess I can find the right clothes for her. Justin, you know how to sew, right?" She gazed at Justin. "You can make adjustments if Crona doesn't perfectly fit in her new clothes."

"Of course," Justin smiled. "We wouldn't want to disappoint the young master."

.

.

The chimes hanging from the ceiling rang as Kid opened the doors of a cafe called Le Dolce Dente, letting in a frizzle of snowy wind. Crona followed, waddling behind Kid. The cafe was lightened up by yellow lights which was comforting to the eyes of the customers. Dancing Christmas lights caught the pinkette's attention, triggered her curiosity. The square windows were surrounded by them. Kid had led them to a table near a window where the town square can be seen. Crona sat across Kid and clutched her knees nervously. She stared blankly at the mahogany table while Kid studied her for a moment before grabbing the menu.

"What's troubling you, Crona?" Kid finally said after deciding what he should order.

Crona quickly glanced at Kid. "N-nothing!"

"It doesn't seem like it's nothing." He frowned a bit. "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

"No, it's not like that!" She shouted in a small, cute voice, waiving her hands frantically in front of Kid.

Kid's shoulder started twitching as he chuckled.

"What's funny?" Crona said, looking somewhat like a clueless child at Kid. The nervousness slowly left her after hearing Kid's genuine warm laugh.

"I'm sorry," Kid said, still laughing a bit. "It's just that you're so cute when you're panicking." He took her hands, gripped them and stared into her baby blue eyes like he did a few days ago. His face suddenly changed expression. "Please tell me what's bothering you," he said firmly. "Maybe I can help." He wanted her to trust him so he had to sound as serious as possible but what he did only made Crona's face turn red and brought her nervousness back.

"It's just that…"

"Yes?" Kid leaned closer.

She faced down, making her asymmetrical bangs cover her eyes. "It's just that I don't want you to be seen with me… or anyone like me." Her voice was getting smaller. It was as if she was too embarrassed to say what she wanted to say.

"Anyone like you? Surely, you're just as human as them." Kid looked around the large room full of people enjoying their pastries and hot drinks. "Everyone else in this room is minding their own business. If they have a problem with us, they can approach me anytime."

Crona slowly looked up and joined Kid in glancing at the people in the room. She completely forgot that Kid was still holding her hand. She heard sweet instrumental Christmas songs in the air. She closed her eyes, listen to music along with the chattering in the room and gradually felt comfortable.

"See? There's nothing to be afraid of."

"What if they're talking about us?"

"People around here don't know much about me. Even if they do, I don't give a damn about what they think. Listen, we're here to relax and enjoy the holiday, not to be judged by people." He smiled. "I want us to cut some slack. Take a break, Ms. Gorgon. I know you've been through a lot."

"H-how do you know that?" Crona felt her throat burning. She could feel the tears that were about to escape from eyes already.

Kid looked outside, looked at the children playing around the frozen fountain in the town square. "I saw you walking helplessly, looking for your mom. You've seen the killer, haven't you? But you didn't know what to do. You thought you were no match against him… so you ran away… ran away until you encountered that bastard."

"That's… exactly what happened." Crona stared at Kid in wonder, her eyes glistening with tears already.

"_How does he know that? Has he really been watching me?"_

Kid returned his gaze to Crona.

"_Those eyes… those eyes are full of determination."_

"We _will _look for the culprit. He needs to get what he deserves. I'll need your guidance, Ms. Gorgon. After that, we can proceed with looking for your father… or we could atleast find out what happened to him."

Crona buried her head into her hands and released her tears. "Thank you," she gasped. "Thank you, young master."

"H-hey! Stop doing that," Kid whispered. "People are going to think I'm making a girl cry!"

Crona wiped her tears with the sleeve of her jacket. "Atleast you're making her cry with happiness. Whatever happened to not caring what other people think?"

Kid paused for a moment of realization. "Touche," he said. "Well, I wouldn't want your eyes to be swollen from crying too much. It would ruin that beautiful face of yours."

"What—"

"Waiter!" Kid said, trying to change the topic.

A waiter came to their table and took their order. "Yes, sir?"

Crona just smiled as she felt a hope in Kid.

.

.

Giriko, an illegal wood logger and former soldier, happened to stop by at the store where Maka and Justin were looking clothes and shoes for Crona. He was walking through an aisle of leather boots when he saw Justin holding a boot with laces. He thought it wasn't Justin until he rechecked him.

"Hmm? Could it be really Justin Law we have here?" Giriko exclaimed, standing behind Justin.

Justin smirked, not looking back at Giriko just yet. "Of all places, why did we have to meet here?"

"How am I supposed to know? I heard you're working for a little brat name Kennedy… something."

"Thou shall not tarnish the name of the lord!" He struck Giriko by the head with the boot he was holding.

"Oww! Don't tell me you're angry just because I called him a brat!"

"He's far from being a brat. Unlike a coot like you, he's a responsible young man."

"I still pity you for being under the control of that disgraceful aristocrat. How dare he go out with the child of a filthy woman?"

"That's none of your business, Giriko. And leave her mother alone. She's already dead. Crona is different from her!"

"Crona? Ah, so that's her name after all? You really don't know her, do you?" Giriko started walking away. "What a hopeless case."

"You don't know her either."

"Yeah, right. Like not working with her for three months wasn't enough for me to get to know her. She's just as filthy as her mother. You want a free advice? Leave her in the dirt where she belongs, otherwise, you'll put your young master at risk of losing his position in the government."

Justin grunted. He ran to Giriko and drew a small knife to his neck. "Tell me… what did she do?"

"Don't worry, she didn't do drugs and prostitution like her mother… but she did pretend to be a boy, hoping to be able to meet her father in the camp. Ofcourse, when the general found out she was a girl, we had to throw her away."

"Throw her away? Where?"

Giriko smiled. "In a deep lake… with her hands tied and mouth covered."

"You're lying! How was she able to survive that?"

"A friend of her helped her. Crona was free to run away after being saved, but the brave soldier who saved her had to face the consequence of his foolishness."

"What happened to him?"

"Shot to death."

Justine suddenly felt weak. He loosed his grip on Giriko. "You merciless scums. How can you call yourself protectors of the country with what you've done?"

"Indeed you may say we're murderers but it's better to get rid of one young man than to sacrifice a hundred. We didn't need a soldier like him. We didn't need someone who was in favor of that traitor. He was a threat to us."

"You and your mindless beliefs!" Justin stepped back. "He saved an innocent young girl, a girl who was just trying to find a way to see her father again. She was actually willing to put her life at risk just for it!"

"Well, she shouldn't have. Being in that place isn't some kind of game. It wasn't a place for a girl like her to wander off in search of a lost loved-one."

"Forgive her; she's just a naïve child that time. All she thought about was retrieving her father."

"We had to shed innocent blood because of her. She made a traitor out of a loyal soldier. That's what makes her filthy, Justin. She shouldn't have done what she did in the first place. It wouldn't have gone that far."

"Whatever happened, I'm sure she regrets what she did. I'll talk to her about it."

"She'll probably lie to you." He dug his arms in his pockets and continued walking away. "Keep your eyes open."

"Oh, we will."

As soon as Giriko disappeared from the aisle, Maka came near Justin, holding some clothes and looking worried

"You heard everything, haven't you?" Justin said.

Maka nodded weakly.

"So what do you think?"

"I think Crona was foolish… but at the same time, I also think she had been brave. I never thought she'd do something as crazy as that… entering the military with a fake identity. She went that far just to see her father, Justin. This means we really need to find him for her before she does anything like that again."

Justin closed his eyes. "I couldn't agree more. We should report this to the young master."

"No! He might not help Crona anymore after hearing that!"

"I am obliged to tell him all information I gather about Crona. I'm sorry, Maka, but he has to know. We can't keep the truth from him. He'll find out eventually anyway."

"But I don't want to see the young master looking at her with hate after the kindness he showed her. It would break her heart!"

Justin cupped Maka's shoulders with his hands. "Trust me… he'll understand as long as it is explained clearly. You can help me in explaining if you want to."

Maka was quiet for a moment before she nodded.

.

.

"How did it go?" asked Marie who was smoking a cigarette in front of a fireplace, sitting comfortable on a sofa.

"I told him what he needs to know," Giriko said. He sat beside Marie and closed his eyes, hoping to fall asleep already.

"Good. Surely, Kid will have to rethink about keeping that scoundrel. He wouldn't want his reputation to be ruined now, would he?" She chuckled.

"Who the hell cares about reputation? He can just live a normal life like me."

"I won't allow my nephew to sink to your level."

Giiko suddenly pulled Marie to him by her pearly necklace and gritted his teeth. "Do you want to work with me or not? !"

"Let… go… of me."

"Answer me!"

"Yes. Now keep your dirty face away from me."

"You don't really care about your nephew, do you? You're just thinking about yourself. You wouldn't want your nephew to have a bad image because it will clearly affect you… you, who is supposed to be taking care of him."

"You don't know what's going on in our family so shut up."

"Believe me, woman, I do. Ever since that boy's parents died, your family had a lot of bad debts and in order to pay those bad debts, that brat will have to marry a rich girl, am I right? The rich girl is coming here after three months and that brat isn't even aware of the arranged marriage."

"Well you're well-informed. I wouldn't bother where you got that information though. The source seems reliable enough. Not one single lie did I hear. Tell me, Giriko… whose side are you really on?" She leered at him in suspicion.

"No one. I work for myself. I'm just here for the money. Make sure you pay for it or I'll have to tear you to shreds with the chainsaw I use for cutting trees."

Marie smiled. "Is that a threat?"

"It's a warning." He let go of her necklace, stood up, picked up his jacket and stormed out of the house.

"That boy sure has a bad habit of walking away from an important discussion." She collapsed on the couch and looked up at the ceiling. "All I want is for this family to be at peace. And that can't happen if we don't get rid of that shameless girl."

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	7. Demon Butler

**Chapter 7: Demon Butler**

On their trip back to Death City, Justin and Maka had been quiet most of the time in the train. They sat beside each other, trying to look calm despite of the anxiety that was squirming in them. They haven't decided yet if they should tell Kid about what they just learned from Giriko. They felt the need to talk to Crona about it first before they could consult Kid. They wanted to avoid misunderstandings as much as possible but the thought of Crona betraying them kept bugging them especially when they could see that she had already become friendly with Kid; still, seeing her sleeping peacefully with her head on Kid's shoulder made them regret for ever doubting her even for a second. Kid was clearly blushing but he kept covering his face with the book he was reading.

Justin sweatdropped. "Young master, you shouldn't be reading while we're traveling," he said calmly. "It's bad for your eye. You're going to have a headache if you continue that."

Kid sighed. "I'll stop doing this when _she _stops sleeping on me."

"It's okay, there's no need to be embarrassed about it so you don't have to cover your face. And besides, it's your fault for making her seat beside you."

Kid lowered the book a bit so he could look at Justin's face. "We were having an interesting conversation on our way here that I completely forgot to sit beside you. Is there by any chance that you're jealous, Justin?"

"Not at all, my Lord. In fact, I enjoy this view of you and Ms. Gorgon." He smiled teasingly.

Kid glared at him and looked away. "You're awfully weird when you're being sadistic."

"I'm not being sadistic. I'm just simply happy for my master."

"Yeah, right," Kid said sarcastically.

"Young master, I can take your place if you can no longer take it anymore," Maka said hesitantly with a generous smile, trying to lighten up Kid's burden.

Kid stared at her quizzically for a few seconds. He sighed then closed his eyes. "No, it's fine. I can handle this."

Maka's smile faded. She looked at him worriedly. "Are you sure? There's still an hour till we reach Death City."

"He said that it's fine, Maka," Justin said, trying to butt in. "He wouldn't want you to take this precious moment."He winked at Maka.

"Ohhh," Maka uttered and chuckled at what she just realized.

Kid facepalmed himself and gritted his teeth. "I feel like punching someone in the face right now."

Maka and Justin could imagine Kid being surrounded by flames. This made them shrink in their seats. "So… scary…" they both whispered.

After a few moments of silence, Kid had fallen asleep already. His head rested on Crona's head. Maka and Justin could hear their soft breaths. It was about three in the afternoon and it was snowing again outside so everyone still felt chilly. It was a perfect time to be tucked in bed, sleeping. But to Maka and Justin, there was no time for sleeping yet. Some thoughts were still provoking them and they wouldn't rest until they get things straight.

"How could she deceive the young master?" thought Justin as he studied Crona's face. "She's just a hopeless little human who lost her parents and who doesn't even have a sibling. What reason could she possibly have to use him?"

"There's no way Crona would betray Kid," Maka thought, staring at her gloved hands on her lap. "He's helping her to rise from the ashes and she's going to pay him back with betrayal? It's just too unreasonable… unless… she's working under someone. No… that can't be! What am I thinking?" She was already shaking her head roughly.

"Maka… are you… alright?" Kid asked, looking confused at Maka.

"Ahh! Young master, it's nothing! I was just thinking of something!" She closed her eyes, rubbed the back of her head and forced herself to chuckle. "He sure woke up too early," she thought.

"Well, whatever it is, you can always talk to me about it." He showed a soft smile, a smile that made Maka feel both warm and guilty. She nodded then looked at Justin, hoping to feel reassured that everything's going to be okay, but Justin's face was just void of emotion. He, too, was preoccupied with his thoughts. Maka felt the urge to tell Kid what she knew. Her impatience was getting the best of her. She was about to say something when the train suddenly stopped. This caused everyone to be ejected from their seats and get bumped on each other.

"Whoa!" exclaimed Kid and Maka. The lights started flickering.

"What the hell was that?" Kid said as he rubbed his forehead. He pushed down his other hand on the floor to help him stand up. Justin held Crona's hands and helped her stand up. Crona was just confused as the others but since she just woke up, she wasn't as shocked as them. Kid opened the door of the compartment and checked out the empty hallway. "Why did we stop?"

"Hmmm," uttered Justin. He gave Crona to Maka then joined Kid in the small corridor. "We probably almost hit someone crossing… or something." He gazed at the window suspiciously. Suddenly, the train started moving again. Kid lost his balance and almost fell on the floor again. He fell into Justin's arms.

"Stay alert, young master," Justin reminded him.

"I know that," Kid said, staring at the floor, his eyes being covered with his bangs. "Justin…"

Surprised by the sound of his master's voice, he responded quickly, "Yes, my Lord?"

"I want you to check out that thing that tried to hinder us."

It took a few seconds for Justin to register in his mind what Kid wanted him to do. He had let go of Kid's arms so he could stand on his own. He smiled and said, "Certainly."

Before the lights came back and before he could go back to their compartment, Kid shot him a serious glance. "Don't come back till you find it."

Justin said no more. He just placed his hand on his chest and bowed at Kid. He then turned around, held the window's frame then disappeared into the snowy terrain.

"Justin!" Maka screamed as she ran outside.

"Quiet down," Kid told her as he came into the compartment. "He'll be back."

Maka turned to Kid. "But master, he's going to be left behind!"

"I said quiet down. Don't you trust me?"

Crona glanced at Kid then at Maka, hoping they wouldn't fight.

"I… I do," Maka said weakly.

"Good." He sat down and started reading his book again. Maka sat in front of him with Crona next to her. She felt ashamed for overreacting. She has forgotten that Justin wasn't just a typical butler… that he was a demon butler. She remained quiet until she noticed that she couldn't read the title of the book Kid was reading. It was written in a language that was unknown to her. The book's cover was simple. The book title was the only thing on it. It was brown book and it looked ancient already. Its pages were almost yellow and each time Kid turned the page, it made a cracking sound that would kill the silence between them. Crona was more than awake already. She just kept looking at the views outside.

"I wonder what he's reading," Maka thought. "I'm sure it's no ordinary book."

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.

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Kid placed the small luggage on the ground and realized it was evening already. He heard familiar steps behind him. "You're late," he said sternly without looking back.

"Justin!" Maka shouted. Maka almost hugged Justin. She was worried he wouldn't be able to come back.

"H-how did you come back?" Crona suddenly asked. She still wasn't aware that Justin was a demon. She studied his clothes, face and hands. Not even a pinch of dirt was present. His face and hands remained unscathed, flawless. He smiled at Crona.

"Aren't you glad I'm back, Ms. Gorgon?"

Crona shook her head. "No, I'm very glad! I thought you were dead already!"

All of them went silent.

"Well, that was pretty direct," Justin said as he closed his eyes and chuckled. He patted Crona's head and whispered, "I've been running as fast as I can."

"Th… that's awesome!" Crona's face was full of admiration for Justin already.

"Oh, brother," Kid facepalmed himself once again. "He could have atleast told her that he took another train."

"Were you an athlete, Mr. Law?" Crona asked Justin again, suddenly feeling curious.

Justin covered his mouth and started snickering. "She's so gullible," he thought, "and too innocent to be suspected."

"Stop messing around, Justin, let's go," Kid commanded him before he could say something so unbelievable again.

"Let's set that aside for now, Ms. Gorgon." He then picked up the luggage and walked beside Kid. They distanced themselves a little bit far away from the two girls so they could discuss something. Crona was still left in awe.

"Tomorrow, you and the others shall show Crona how to work in the house," Kid began. "Tell her the house rules… tell her _my _rules. Don't forget to tell her that she should avoid my aunt as much as possible but if she does encounter her, she should be courteous and kind despite that witch's insolent behavior. If she has any problems, especially concerning her work and the house, she can consult me."

"Understood, my Lord."

"So what have you found?"

"It was nothing but a hag."

"What? That sounds familiar. Why would an old lady stick around in that freezing place? And why would she try to cross the road when she knew the train was coming? Does she have a death wish or something?"

"I chased her to the woods, my Lord. I lost her there. It was like she entered another dimension."

"You're being irrational. There's no such thing as another dimension. She probably hid herself and you were too blind to see her. Or perhaps you were too lazy to look further." He glared at Justin.

"I assure you… I've been looking everywhere. If it weren't for these demon eyes, I wouldn't have continued. I was able to search in the dark but I couldn't find her anymore."

"She probably has a hide out. Anyway, do you atleast remember what she looked like?"

"She had fading blonde hair, wrinkly pale skin, thin pink lips and gold eyes. She was wearing a green robe, a light brown coat and gray boots."

"Keep that in mind. We might encounter her again. I think I know her now."

"You sure do know a lot of people, my Lord."

"Trust me, I don't."

"Well then, how could you say that?"

"I believe she's someone close to me." He dipped his head. "Playing tricks on me, huh?" he said to himself but loud enough for Justin to hear. "We'll see who's going to end up in the dirt."

"Someone close to you? Playing tricks? Who and what are you talking about, sire? Is it one of your rivals who dressed up herself as an old hag?"

"Oh, she didn't do much on her appearance." He grinned. "She's been a hag for a long time now."

**A/N: **Let me remind you guys that this story is in an AU… alternative universe. So expect some characters to be inverted. Thanks for reading!


	8. Promise Keeping

**Chapter 8: Promise Keeping**

"Crona, today Justin and I are going to teach you how to cook," Maka said, walking in front of Crona in the second floor's corridor. "We shall impart to you of our knowledge about Master Kid's food preference." Crona, who was already in her maid suit, nodded acquiescently as Maka continued announcing to her about that day's activities. "Last night, the master instructed us to teach you these things so that you can work more efficiently. We have specific rules in this manor and it shall be discussed to you by Justin later." She closed her eyes." We're going to have so much fun!"

Crona could only sweat drop and smile sweetly as Maka wrapped her hands around hers. She wasn't too confident about being able to work "efficiently", not when the place was too elegant for her. She felt like he had to be really careful in that place or she might break precious stuff. Everything still seemed to be a bit confusing to her. Ever since she started living there, her life has suddenly become fast-paced. She would still wonder how she ended up in that place, not like she didn't want to be there. In fact, the presence of Kid and his servants were rather comforting to her even though she mostly lived alone before because Medusa was usually at work and she would only come home only twice or thrice a week.

Months have passed after her father's departure; Crona has forgotten how heart-warming it is to have people around her who genuinely care for her. She began to isolate herself more willingly than necessarily required by Medusa. She developed the fear of getting too attached to anyone. She believed that in the end, everyone's going to disappoint you… everyone's going to leave you. But maybe… she thought… just maybe… she could actually trust the people in that manor who were taking her into custody.

The two blondes and the pinkette walked into the large pantry. Crona's eyes went wide at the site of the myriad of food, kitchen utensils and linens resting on wooden racks. "We're here to get a few small packs of flour, Ms. Gorgon, not to daze off," Justin remarked and smirked at Crona and he walked ahead of her. Crona was instantly brought back to reality. She bowed her head and apologized to Justin.

"There's no need to apologize," Justin said as he patted Crona's soft pink hair. Crona stared at him cluelessly. "I was just messing with you. Anyone would be surprised at 'this' if it was their first time to see it." He turned around and started walking towards the rack full of packs of flour. "Of course, Maka and I aren't so sure why this pantry has to be so big. Though we assumed it's because of Master Kid's strategic mind." He reached his hand for one pack of flour. "Remember this, Crona, he loves having backups. He's a stubborn little kid who doesn't like to lose so he always has something prepared just in case he loses something like a…" Three packs of flour were already in his arms when he noticed the rack full of jars of honey. "Like a jar of honey!" Crona raised her eyebrow in slight confusion.

"Now, Crona, even a simple object can be used as an analogy," Maka continued for Justin. "When Master Kid finishes off one jar of honey in a week, he doesn't want us to fuss over travelling to downtown just to buy a new one. If time comes when it's down to two jars left, that's when we'll have to go to downtown already. Got it?" She smiled at Crona. The pinkette just nodded weakly but deep inside, she was starting to get hyped about the other things they would tell her about their perplexing master.

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.

.

"Why do we have to bring these stupid piles of newspaper to him anyway?" Black Star mumbled behind a mountain of newspapers on the ventral side of his forearms. Soul was carrying the same thing but he dared not to complain. He had much respect for Kid.

"Shh! Quiet down, will you?" Soul admonished. "You wouldn't want the young earl to hear you blurting out such drivel. You and I both know what these are for."

"Well, sorry," Black Star said half-heartedly, almost sarcastic, as he closed his eyes. "I forgot. What are these for again? I've seen the publication dates of some of these. They're newspapers from four to six years ago!"

"Of course they are," Soul said a-matter-of-factly. "Master Kid is about to do what he has promised to Crona… and that is to help her find her father. He's going to gather information about her father using these. I believe there are articles here about the army."

"So you're saying Crona's father is a part of the army?" He started snickering. "How could a soldier marry a whore? If he hasn't done that, Crona wouldn't have to be sticking around here, being looked after by Kid. How troublesome." Black Star burst out laughing when suddenly a gloved hand smacked him on his face. As result, some of the newspapers Black Star was carrying fell down on the rugged floor of the corridor. The shape of Kid's palm was momentarily imprinted on Black Star's face in fading red. Soul, who suddenly froze where he was standing, could only watch the two of them in shock.

Kid was panting, looking down on the floor, trying to bring back his composure before he started giving Black Star what Soul was anticipating… a piece of his wrath.

"How dare you speak of Crona in such an ill manner," Kid said sternly between pants. "You don't know her. And you definitely have no right to talk about her that way, not when you, yourself, are under my custody as well!" Kid stood up straight and smoothen the folds of his coat. "Remember why you are here, Black Star. Remember why I've accepted you here. You're not far different from the person you tried to insult. You belong to a notorious group of assassins that have slayed thousands of innocent people but you chose to be one of my underlings… you chose to be different from the people you come from... because I believed in you. I believed that the descendant of those famous killers was born to surpass even God. I know I have blasphemed but if it weren't for that belief of mine, you would have been wandering around in this world, aimlessly."

"You're wrong," Black Star whispered coldly.

Kid raised an eye brow as Soul let out a small gasp.

"Idiot! He's just going to make things worse!" Soul screamed in his mind.

"You're wrong, master." He stared into Kid's golden eyes. "I would have been wandering around in this world with a great purpose if it wasn't for you. Nevertheless I chose to be here, serving you, because I also believed that you're someone I can look up to… someone I feel indebted to. Remember this also… I've sworn to myself that I'd live to protect you at any cost with all my might and strength. I will never forget the kindness you've shown to me." His serious face quickly faded as he started laughing like an idiot. "Anyway!" He started picking up the newspapers from the ground. "Here are your newspapers, sir! And oh boy, it's almost late for your breakfast already. You must be hungry. Shall we escort you to the dining room?"

Soul sweatdropped. "He totally changed the topic," he thought in disbelief.

Kid folded his arms and glanced away. "I'm not going to eat breakfast nor lunch. I'll spend the whole day in my study if you need me. Please proceed to the job at hand and later, tell Justin to bring me one plate of Linzertorte and a cup of rose tea at 4 p.m. Help yourselves in the kitchen and do your jobs."

"Yes, sir," Soul and Black Star in unison. Aftewards, they continued walking towards Kid's study room with the newspapers on their arms and Kid following behind them.

"Thank you for your hard work," Kid remarked as soon as Soul and Black Star placed down the newspapers on Kid's mahogany desk. "You can leave now and enjoy the rest of the beautiful day," he said with a smile that sent chills down the spines of two boys who. Somehow, they assumed that he was just trying to mask his real emotions but they were also relieved that he wasn't angry anymore so they quietly waltzed out of the room and heaved a deep sigh in the hallway. They had a feeling he didn't want to be disturbed.

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"I can't believe he's going to skip breakfast for the first time," Black Star said as soon as they reached the stairs which is so far away from Kid's study room already.

"Crona must be really that important to him," Soul supposed.

"But how could she be? He just met her a few days ago and she's that important already?

"Haven't you noticed? He seemed to be bored for the past few weeks just dwelling in this huge house, doing the same routine every week."

"Maybe he's like that because he hasn't done anything 'interesting' for a while already."

"That's exactly my thought, Black Star. It could be just merely entertainment to him." He smirked. "You know our master."

"Right, he wouldn't let himself get too attached to anyone… especially after he lost his parents on that particular day."

"Now that you've mentioned it… that's probably one of the reasons why I like that kid. We could relate with each other because of our deceased parents."

Soul smiled fondly, his hands tucked into his shorts' pockets. "I guess you understand him in a level that no else can reach."

Black Star stopped walking from shock and allowed Soul to walk ahead of him. "Was that supposed to be a joke?"

Soul faced down and chuckled. "Forget what I said," he said as he waved his hand.

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"He's going to what? !" Maka screamed at the top of her lungs. "He can't do that! He'll get sick and he'll-he'll—"

Soul locked his hands on Maka's shoulders. "Maka, calm your tits. It's not like he's going to die just from skipping two meals."

"You should have atleast tried convincing him to eat! We made a lot of pancakes too."

"He said we should just help ourselves in the kitchen. Oh, and Justin," He gazed at Justin who was just finished pouring pure orange juice into a glass on the dining table. "He also said that he'd like a plate of Linzertorte and a cup of rose tea at 4 p.m." Justin nodded to this.

Crona felt uneasy ever since the boys reported about Kid's weird decision. "Mr. Evans-"

"What the—Just call me Soul, Crona. There's no need for such formality between us. After all, we're working under the same brat—I mean, revered young earl."

Crona covered her mouth with her first and giggled softly.

Black Star pushed down his hands on the dining table that made it shook and said, "Okay! So apparently, we have this place all to ourselves for the following ten hours!"

"Don't even think about it," Maka said as she glared at the aqua-haired boy. "We're not going to mess up this place just because Master Kid won't be around for inspection."

"Damn, Maka, you're too uptight. I wasn't even thinking of that." He folded his arms at the back of his head and walked away from the table. "I was just thinking we should have a little party. I mean, come on. We haven't had a welcome party for Crona yet."

"Please—you don't have to do that," Crona said weakly.

Maka gasped. "That's a great idea, Black Star! We totally forgot about that!"

"Hey, I'm not against this at all and I hate to break it to you, but shouldn't we consider the master's absence? Should we celebrate without him?"

"Oh, come on, Soul. It's just a small party that we're going to throw. And besides, the party isn't for the master but for Crona."

Crona felt like melting in her seat as her eyes switched from Soul to Maka and vice versa.

"Yeah, but if the master finds about this, he'll feel bad about us not telling him beforehand."

"That's not a problem. We can just go upstairs right now and ask for his permission."

"He obviously doesn't want us to bother him right now, Maka. He's busy… with something."

"Now that you mentioned, what is he working on anyway?"

"As promised, he's going to muster up information about Crona's father."

Crona flinched at what she just heard. "He's… he's really going to do it?" She thought.

"Awww. That's so sweet of him. He's even willing to skip two meals for it."

"Okay, so what are we supposed to do now?" Black Star interrupted out of the blue.

"Well, first of all, we should atleast finish all these pancakes we made. Afterwards, Justin will show Crona how to clean the house while the three of us prepare for her welcome party!"

"Sounds great!" Black Star said with a grin.

Justin just smiled at this while Soul looked away and said, "Fine. Don't tell me I didn't warn you thougha."

"Geez, Soul," Maka said, sounding disappointed. "You worry too much."


	9. Thousand Splendid Suns

**A/N:** Ignore this chapter's title. Please.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Thousand Splendid Suns**

Death the Kid propped down on his Aubusson needlepoint chair and scattered the last batch of newspapers from 1855 and 1856 on his mahogany study desk and began scanning articles regarding the British Army involving in the Crimean War. For the past hours, he'd been crouching on his seat, totally engrossed in reading articles, searching for valuable pieces of information with the resources at hand. Unfortunately, most of them were just extraneous. That day he wore his white silk shirt with turnover collars, black waistcoat and dark knee-length trousers. One article caught his attention... an article about the Treaty of Paris which settled the war. He heaved a sigh, hoping that he was already holding the one he's been looking for as he leaned his back on the chair. Scrutinizing the article, his golden eyes moved quickly from left to right, as if watching a ping pong ball getting hit and thrown back across a table tennis table. Every word that seemed to give him a hint about Crona's father made him pause for a second. In the end, there was no specific information about the man but information about where some surviving soldiers stayed after the war.

"Coward men who didn't come after the bloody battle," Kid mouthed silently, faced down and gradually placed the newspaper on his lap. "Why wouldn't they come home? Weren't they excited to see their family?" He thought out loud. A million of questions ran through his head after all what he read. He suddenly felt like there was no need to look for the man anymore, making his body weak from the guilt that he might not be able to fulfill his promise. Frustrated, he snatched off his black ribbon from his collar and slammed his forehead against which also covered his tired eyes. The light emanating from outside slowly withdrew from the room. "He probably affiliated with some bandits or worse… made a new family." His shoulders started twitching as he began to snicker, breaking the silence of the large room… the room with tall bookshelves on the sides, packed with hardbound thick books then he suddenly stopped, "Royston Village, huh? Only one way to find out."

Kid stood up and grabbed his ribbon from the table, letting the newspaper fall from his lap. He romped down the hallway, his face beaming with excitement. He just couldn't wait till Justin came up to his room with his afternoon snack but as soon as he reached the chairs, all the excitement left his body at the sight of Black Star standing on a tall platform ladder, taking off some streamer from the magnificent golden chandelier hanging above the large foyer. On the floor was a long table covered in plain white and red linen with table skirting. A variety of dishes were set on the table but apparently, they were half empty already. Everyone in the room froze –Kid holding on to the banister, looking at his servants in disbelief; his servants cleaning the mess they've made stared back at Kid, fear building up in them. Justin always said that Kid is nice but when he's angry, he can make the house shake in rage. Ofcourse, he was kidding about shaking the house.

"It's my fault!" Maka shouted, trying not to sound nervous. She was holding a dozen of porcelain plates with different sizes but in order, from smallest to biggest. Meanwhile, Black Star was still balancing on the ladder, not moving an inch as if they were playing Statues.

Kid averted his eyes away from them and watched his steps as he continued walking down the stairs towards them. "I'm not surprised by your usual audacity, Ms. Albarn, but I appreciate you for telling the truth," he said calmly. Even though he spoke with such ease, everyone could feel the anger stirring up in him. "Still, this wouldn't have been anybody else's idea so it was already predictable that it's you." He stood in front of Maka who was starting to lower her head, fearing of what Kid might say in front of her. Crona, still in her maid suite, was standing about two meters away, near the table and under the chandelier, was fidgeting instead of Maka. Her hands were clasped together as if praying for Maka's soul.

"What is all this, exactly, Maka?" Kid said nonchalantly.

"This?" She managed to make a smile. "This is just a welcome party for Crona, young master."

"I see. So you threw a party without my consent. How thoughtful of you." Soul, standing behind Kid where Maka could see him, actually felt laughing at what Kid said but he covered his mouth before he could even make a sound. He gave Maka the I-told-you-so stare. Maka glared at him.

"I'm sorry, My Lord, but we thought we shouldn't bother you," Justin butted in, stepping between Maka and Kid, as if trying to protect Maka.

"You're not the one I'm asking, Justin, but just because you thought that way don't mean you could foolishly continue with your frolic while I wear myself out with work."

Maka and Justin closed their eyes and bowed their heads. "We are truly sorry, sir."

Suddenly, Kid's frown was replaced with a grin. "By the way! I found what I've been looking for!"

"What?" Maka and Justin said in unison as they stared at Kid with wide eyes, surprised at his quick change of demeanor.

"Bipolar as always," Soul thought.

"I think I know where we can find Crona's father now!"

"Again… WHAT?" The two gaped.

"You heard me." He smirked and folded his arms.

Crona couldn't believe what she just heard. Slowly, she admired Kid more than she ever did. She felt so grateful it almost made her cry. First the fun-filled party, now that.

"That's… that's great then!" Maka shouted, almost breathless.

Justin just smiled. "Good job, my Lord."

"Tomorrow we're off to Royston Village!" Kid said zealously.

His servants except Black Star stared at him one by one, shocked. "ROYSTON VILLAGE? !"

Kid nodded with a smile.

"But my Lord, that's a dangerous place," Justin said weakly, hoping Kid would give a good explanation.

"Exactly but that won't stop us from invading, I mean, visiting it."

To the servants, there was something weird about Kid's smile. It was almost evil.

"But why there?" Maka asked for all of them.

"My resources lead me to that conclusion, Maka," Kid said firmly, his seriousness returning to him. "According to the most reliable article I found, after the war, some soldiers refused to come home to their families for who knows what reason. The most possible place where they're hiding, err, staying is the one I mentioned." He tried not to make Crona think her dad ran away from home. It was bad enough that her mother passed away. Still, as Kid glanced at Crona, he could see that he triggered 'it' already in her by her fading smile.

"ROYSTON IT IS THEN!" Black Star shouted and punched the air. Suddenly, he lost his balance and everyone started to panic. "Whoa!" He said nervously as he tried to hold on to the stairs. Instead of that, he absent-mindedly grabbed hold of the chandelier a little above him.

Kid's eyes widened, his adrenaline pumped up. "CRONA!" they all screamed but Kid's voice dominated.

Crona looked up at the chandelier a few meters above her. It swayed like a pendulum with Black Star hanging on to it. But since it was heavy, it didn't sway that much, just about two meters. The ceiling started to crack; It couldn't take the weight anymore.

"Uh-oh," Black Star said in a tiny, intimidated voice for the first time.

Frozen to the ground, Crona gasped. "Run!" Her consciousness warned her but she couldn't even move a muscle. She kept her eyes locked on the chandelier. Suddenly, she felt an impact behind her. She was pushed to the ground just as soon as the chandelier fell to the ground. The other servants ran away from the place as fast as they could, hoping the one who rushed towards Crona saved them both. Black Star, being a former assassin, quickly jumped away from the chandelier before it hit the ground.

Pieces of the golden chandelier scattered on the granite tiles, shimmered with the afternoon sun like hundreds of rain droplets. Crona hit her head on the floor but she thought that's better than getting hit by that gigantic chandelier. She kept her eyes closed as she listened to the disaster's sound enveloping them for seconds. After a minute, the room was completely silent as if peace was restored to a country after a battle. With her aching head preventing her to fully open her eyes; she decided to stand up first. Her head bumped on someone else's face.

"Are you okay?" Kid asked, breathing deeply.

"Kid?" Crona thought. She felt her blood rush through her body as she heard his gentle voice.

Kid tried to sit properly in front of her.

Crona slowly opened her eyes and saw Kid smiling sadly at her. She started shaking as she saw Kid's clothes being ripped a bit due to the sharp parts of the chandelier that hit him. The scars were still bleeding. Kid saving her was the last thing on her mind. Apparently, he shielded her when the accident transpired. "Why, Kid… you didn't have to do this…" Tears started escaping from her eyes.

"It's okay now," Kid said in an effort to convince her that she doesn't have to feel bad. "It's over." Suddenly, he lost consciousness, closed his eyes and fell onto Crona's chest.


End file.
